Horrox, Kenneth Hewitt (Oral history)

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Object description

British stoker served aboard HMS Kingston in Mediterranean, 1941-1942 including sinking in Malta, 3/1942; served aboard HMS Sweetbriar in Atlantic, 1943-1945

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REEL 1 Background in Macclesfield, 1917-1941: family; education; reaction to call up to Navy, 1941. Recollections of operations with HMS Kingston in Mediterranean, 7/1941-3/1942: background to drafting to ship in Egypt, 7/1941; conditions in boiler-room; duties in stokers' mess; memories of Tobruk supply runs; condition of Australian troops evacuated from Tobruk; convoys from Alexandria to Malta, 1941; shell hit from Italian Navy during Battle of Sirte; problems of getting ship to Malta and sinking of ship in Valletta harbour, 3/1942. Period of shore duties in Malta and Alexandria, 1942: sheltering in air raid shelters in Valletta, 3/1942.
REEL 2 Continues: refuge in army camp on Malta from 3/1942; living conditions on Malta; opinion of Maltese; leaving Malta by aircraft, 7/1942; naval brigade duties at Alexandria; autumn 1942. Period with HMS Flamingo, 1943: joining damaged ship at Port Said, 1/1943; towing of ship to Bombay for repairs; return to GB, 6/1943. Recollections of operations with HMS Sweetbriar in Atlantic, 1943-1945: opinion of serving on ship; problems encountered with weather in Atlantic; lack of contact with Germans on Atlantic and Gibraltar convoys; ice problems off Newfoundland; experiences ashore at St John's and Placentia; preference for sea service.

Over two million American servicemen passed through Britain during the Second World War. In 1944, at the height of activity, up to half a million were based there with the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Their job was to man and maintain the vast fleets of aircraft needed to attack German cities and industry.